[The expanding skull fracture (author's transl)].

An expanding skull fracture with exceptional extension into the frontal sinus, the orbit and the ethmoidal cells is discussed. A 12 year old boy fell down the stairs at the age of 8 years and fractured his left frontal bone with extension to the base of the skull. He was seen because of a swelling of the scalp, an intermittent orbital oedema and convulsions. At neurosurgery a large gaping fracture of the frontal bone was found and this was interposed with fibrous tissue and relatively denatured cerebral tissue. The management both neurosurgical and rhinological is discussed.